Authors Marketing Bloghttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog
en-usMon, 08 Dec 2014 04:48:43 GMT2014-12-08T04:48:43Zen-usHow self-publishing helped a CPA build a national reputationhttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/207665/How-self-publishing-helped-a-CPA-build-a-national-reputation
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<p><span>Bryan Bloom is a CPA with a mission--show financial planners that the advice </span><span>their prospective clients are receiving</span><span> is wrong. He used a slim manuscript with a compelling title and a focused marketing plan to build a nationwide financial planning practice.</span></p>
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<p><span><img alt="describe the image" class="alignRight" height="276" src="http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/66660/file-1535200270-jpg/0741471918.jpg" style="float: right;" width="180">Bryan Bloom is a CPA with a mission--show financial planners that the advice </span><span>their prospective clients are receiving</span><span> is wrong. He used a slim manuscript with a compelling title and a focused marketing plan to build a nationwide financial planning practice.</span></p>
<p><span>This is a newsletter for independent authors, so it’s useful to consider how Bryan’s success includes many of the tenets of author entrepreneurship.</span></p>
<p><strong>Great advisors</strong> - Bryan credits two colleagues for motivating him to <a href="http://www.infinitypublishing.com" title="publish">publish</a>. A financial planning colleague pointed out that his CPA certification gives his message credibility, while long time mentor and fellow Infinity author Len Renier endorsed the self-publishing business model. &nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Compelling title </strong><span>- What financial planner could resist a book named </span><a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-7191-4" title="Confessions of a CPA: Why What I Was Taught To Be True Has Turned Out Not To Be?"><span>Confessions of a CPA: Why What I Was Taught To Be True Has Turned Out Not To Be</span><span>?</span></a>&nbsp;<span>It establishes the author’s authority, and introduces the mystery that may impact the reader’s career.</span></p>
<p><strong><img alt="describe the image" class="alignRight" height="276" src="http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/66660/file-1531160808-jpg/074147879X.jpg" style="float: right;" width="180">Niche audience</strong><span> - While his message is relevant to the public at large, Bryan does not reach out to them directly with book tours or bookings on Oprah. He targets fellow financial planners as a channel to reach a wider audience.</span></p>
<p><strong>Pay it forward </strong><span>- Bryan published the books to educate his peers--and ultimately, the public. He gives away copies at financial planner ‘watering holes’ including the widely attended </span><span>MoneyTrax</span><span> conference. The sampling generates multi-copy orders from planners who promote their own practices, resell them to clients and write glowing reviews like this: </span><span>“</span><span>I was blown away by the simplicity of the explanation of how Permanent Life Insurance really works. I just bought 10 for my business.”</span></p>
<p><strong>Multiple titles</strong><span> - Bryan’s subsequent titles each present his original message in the context of an occupation--</span><span><a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-7879-X" title="Dental Wealth">Dental Wealth</a></span><span>, and </span><span><a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-7978-8" title="Life$cience">Life$cience</a></span><span> (for doctors), or a financial product--</span><a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-9976-2" title="The Truth About Life Insurance"><span>T</span><span>he Truth About Life Insurance</span></a><span>. </span><span>Each title enhances Bryan’s reputation in the financial planning community.</span></p>
<p><span>With his authority established, Bryan builds his audience by </span><span>speaking in conferences, webinars and even on cruise ships. “I could have as many speaking gigs as I want,” he says. “It’s made life fun.”</span></p>
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<img src="http://track.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=66660&amp;k=14&amp;r=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%2Fauthor-blog%2Fbid%2F207665%2FHow-self-publishing-helped-a-CPA-build-a-national-reputation&amp;bu=http%253A%252F%252Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%252Fauthor-blog&amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important">self publishingwriting tipsauthor marketingtime to writebook writing tipsfinding time to writebook reviewersaudiobooksFri, 29 Aug 2014 12:38:00 GMTkeith@infinitypublishing.com (Keith Patterson)http://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/207665/How-self-publishing-helped-a-CPA-build-a-national-reputation2014-08-29T12:38:00ZBEYOND BAROQUE features Nancy Shiffrinhttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/116807/BEYOND-BAROQUE-features-Nancy-Shiffrin
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<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/resource.aspx?id=5344" title="Nancy Shiffrin">Nancy Shiffrin</a>, Nan Hunt, Alice Pero perform their work at BEYOND BAROQUE premiere of flute piece by Carol Worthey performed by Alice Pero.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Where:</strong> Beyond Baroque</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 681 Venice Blvd 310.822.3006</p>
<a href="tel:310.822.3006"></a>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Date:&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp; September 28, 2013</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ"><strong>Time:</strong>&nbsp; 7:30</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br><strong>To learn more go to:</strong>&nbsp; <a href="http://www.beyondbaroque.org/" title="http://www.beyondbaroque.org/">http://www.beyondbaroque.org/</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Biography:</strong> <br> <span>Nancy Shiffrin is a poet, critic and teacher. She earned her MA studying with Anais Nin. She earned her PhD at The Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio studying Jewish-American Literature. Her work has won awards and honorable mentions from The Academy of American Poets, The Alice Jackson Foundation, The Poetry Society of America, The Pushcart Prizes, The Dora Teitelbaum Foundation. Through CREATIVE WRITING SERVICES her literary arts consultancy, she helps aspiring writers achieve publication and personal satisfaction.</span></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/resource.aspx?id=5344" title="Nancy Shiffrin">Nancy Shiffrin</a>, Nan Hunt, Alice Pero perform their work at BEYOND BAROQUE premiere of flute piece by Carol Worthey performed by Alice Pero.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Where:</strong> Beyond Baroque</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 681 Venice Blvd 310.822.3006</p>
<a href="tel:310.822.3006"></a>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Date:&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp; September 28, 2013</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ"><strong>Time:</strong>&nbsp; 7:30</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br><strong>To learn more go to:</strong>&nbsp; <a href="http://www.beyondbaroque.org/" title="http://www.beyondbaroque.org/">http://www.beyondbaroque.org/</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Biography:</strong> <br> <span>Nancy Shiffrin is a poet, critic and teacher. She earned her MA studying with Anais Nin. She earned her PhD at The Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio studying Jewish-American Literature. Her work has won awards and honorable mentions from The Academy of American Poets, The Alice Jackson Foundation, The Poetry Society of America, The Pushcart Prizes, The Dora Teitelbaum Foundation. Through CREATIVE WRITING SERVICES her literary arts consultancy, she helps aspiring writers achieve publication and personal satisfaction.</span></p>
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<img src="http://track.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=66660&amp;k=14&amp;r=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%2Fauthor-blog%2Fbid%2F116807%2FBEYOND-BAROQUE-features-Nancy-Shiffrin&amp;bu=http%253A%252F%252Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%252Fauthor-blog&amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important">infinity publishingself publishingbook publishingauthor newsWed, 25 Sep 2013 17:00:00 GMThttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/116807/BEYOND-BAROQUE-features-Nancy-Shiffrin2013-09-25T17:00:00ZSherrie WilkolaskiBurroughs's Book Shelf Review of "Never Climbed His Mountain"http://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/117393/Burroughs-s-Book-Shelf-Review-of-Never-Climbed-His-Mountain
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Many people have secrets, and we keep those secrets because we believe no one will understand them. "Never Climbed His Mountain" is a memoir from Julian Gladstone as he shares his story of being a lifelong heterosexual cross dresser, attempting to share the story of the many individuals who share this harmless quirk and coping with the pressures they face from society, so quickly labeled as deviants. "Never Climbed His Mountain" is an intriguing and insightful tale of the secret lives of men who may be closer than you think.
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<a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-6989-8" title=" Never Climbed His Mountain "><br> Never Climbed His Mountain </a>by Julian Gladstone
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<a href="http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Burroughs%27+Bookshelf.-a0323660557" title="Courtesy of Burrough's Book Shelf">Review Courtesy of Burrough's Book Shelf</a>
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Many people have secrets, and we keep those secrets because we believe no one
<img alt="describe the image" class="alignRight" height="228" src="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/products/Images/0741466898.jpg" style="float: right;" width="148"> will understand them. "Never Climbed His Mountain" is a memoir from Julian Gladstone as he shares his story of being a lifelong heterosexual cross dresser, attempting to share the story of the many individuals who share this harmless quirk and coping with the pressures they face from society, so quickly labeled as deviants. "Never Climbed His Mountain" is an intriguing and insightful tale of the secret lives of men who may be closer than you think.
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<a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-6989-8" title=" Never Climbed His Mountain "><br> Never Climbed His Mountain </a>by Julian Gladstone
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<a href="http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Burroughs%27+Bookshelf.-a0323660557" title="Courtesy of Burrough's Book Shelf">Review Courtesy of Burrough's Book Shelf</a>
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<img src="http://track.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=66660&amp;k=14&amp;r=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%2Fauthor-blog%2Fbid%2F117393%2FBurroughs-s-Book-Shelf-Review-of-Never-Climbed-His-Mountain&amp;bu=http%253A%252F%252Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%252Fauthor-blog&amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important">book marketingbook reviewmemoirThu, 25 Jul 2013 21:43:00 GMThttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/117393/Burroughs-s-Book-Shelf-Review-of-Never-Climbed-His-Mountain2013-07-25T21:43:00ZSherrie WilkolaskiDelaware County PA News - Former colleague pens first crime novelhttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/117068/Delaware-County-PA-News-Former-colleague-pens-first-crime-novel
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<h3>Cop Shop: Former colleague pens first crime novel</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2013/07/11/news/doc51de0edfa70f2732899297.txt" title="Read the full article">Read the full article</a> written by By ROSE QUINN &amp; CINDY SCHARR</p>
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<h3>Cop Shop: Former colleague pens first crime novel</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2013/07/11/news/doc51de0edfa70f2732899297.txt" title="Read the full article">Read the full article</a> written by By ROSE QUINN &amp; CINDY SCHARR</p>
<p>In his exit interview with Cop Shop before he retired in September, 2010, John M. Roman said his<img alt="describe the image" class="alignRight" height="300" src="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/products/Images/0741483513.jpg" style="float: right;" width="195"> path to what turned into a nearly 40-year writing career with the <a href="http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2013/07/11/news/doc51de0edfa70f2732899297.txt" title="Delaware County Daily Times">Delaware County Daily Times</a> really began a dozen years prior at Thomas A. Edison High School — where he was a writer and later editor-in-chief of the school newspaper.</p>
<p>That’s when he said, “I got ink in my blood.”<br><br>Now that he’s authored the thriller novel, “<a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-8351-3" title="Ink in His Blood">Ink in His Blood</a>,” those words have taken on even more meaning for our resourceful former colleague, working under the pen name of J.M. Roman.<br><br>“It’s a dream I had,” Roman, a resident of Delaware County, said of <a href="http://www.infinitypublishing.com/book-publishing-services/book-publishing-services.html" title="writing a book">writing a book</a>.<br><br>The premise: Newspaper librarian turns murderer.<br><br><img alt="describe the image" class="alignLeft" height="378" src="http://www.delcotimes.com/content/articles/2013/07/11/news/doc51de0edfa70f27328992971.jpg" style="height: 378px; width: 234px; float: left;" width="234">According to the jacket promo, “A least likely serial killer is stuck filing stories in the morgue of Philly’s largest newspaper. The obsessed wannabe reporter makes crime news if he can’t report it. Young women he waits on wind up being his victims. Charlie Murray, a street-smart reporter and Vietnam War vet, becomes a target as he digs into the random murders. He and two homicide detectives scour Penn’s campus and the ritzy Main Line for the clues before the killer strikes a fourth time.”<br><br>Hooked yet? You should be. It’s a great read and we couldn’t be more impressed by our friend.<br><br>But don’t just listen to us.<br><br>“Think Pete Hamill. Jimmy Breslin or Pete Dexter. Roman’s experience make him uniquely qualified to take readers inside the Philadelphia Evening Star during the last great age of big-city newspapers where a morgue clerk named Frank Stocker would kill to be a reporter — literally! And the bodies start to pile up. Ink in His Blood has all the elements of a gripping thriller — <a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-8351-3" title="murder, sex and a fast-paced plot">murder, sex and a fast-paced plot</a>,” offers nationally syndicated talk-radio host Michael A. Smerconish in one back-cover testimonial.<br><br>“J.M. Roman illustrates that <a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-8351-3" title="journalists">journalists</a> know more about things than nearly anyone else. Sometimes what they know is important stuff, but their captured facts are more often odd, or disturbing, rather than important. Ink in His Blood serves up some of that incidental, off-beat knowledge along with plotting by the author that is meticulous as that of his protagonist police reporter, Charlie Murray,” says Stu Bykofsky, Philadelphia Daily News columnist, in another testimonial. <span class="continue"><a href="http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2013/07/11/news/doc51de0edfa70f2732899297.txt?viewmode=2" title="Continued...">Continued...</a></span></p>
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<p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-45ad5455-dfaa-4c69-b7bf-df4882cb5d08"> <a href="http://cta-image-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/cpi/?&amp;pg=45ad5455-dfaa-4c69-b7bf-df4882cb5d08&amp;pid=66660"><img alt="How to get published - Choosing the Right Publishing Package" class="hs-cta-img" src="https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/66660/45ad5455-dfaa-4c69-b7bf-df4882cb5d08.png" style="border-width:0px;"></a> </span> </span> <span class="continue"><a href="http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2013/07/11/news/doc51de0edfa70f2732899297.txt?viewmode=2" title="Continued..."></a></span></p>
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<img src="http://track.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=66660&amp;k=14&amp;r=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%2Fauthor-blog%2Fbid%2F117068%2FDelaware-County-PA-News-Former-colleague-pens-first-crime-novel&amp;bu=http%253A%252F%252Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%252Fauthor-blog&amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important">infinity publishingself publishingbook publishingauthor newsdelaware county pa newsThu, 11 Jul 2013 20:20:00 GMThttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/117068/Delaware-County-PA-News-Former-colleague-pens-first-crime-novel2013-07-11T20:20:00ZSherrie WilkolaskiSummer 2013 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards - Last Call for Entrieshttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/117017/Summer-2013-Pinnacle-Book-Achievement-Awards-Last-Call-for-Entries
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<p>Be sure to get your book into the Summer 2013 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards. This is our last call for entries.&nbsp;<br><br>Awards are a great way to receive additional recognition and publicity for your book. This is our 27th year of Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards and we are adding additional categories and more awards than ever. <br><br>Winners will be announced in August by e-mail as well as on our website and through <a href="http://www.infinitypublishing.com/additional-book-publishing-services/" title="Press Releases">Press Releases</a> on the internet.<br><br>If you have already signed up, thanks for your entry. For more information,&nbsp;<br>&nbsp; <br>Click below for your entry form and complete details:<br><a href="http://tinyurl.com/y9k6xpk" title="http://tinyurl.com/y9k6xpk">http://tinyurl.com/y9k6xpk</a><br><br>All the best,<br><br>Al Galasso<br>NABE, National Association of Book Entrepreneurs</p>
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<p>Be sure to get your book into the Summer 2013 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards. This is our last call for entries.&nbsp;<img alt="pinnacle book achievement award resized 600" class="alignRight" src="http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/66660/file-221833888-jpg/pinnacle_book_achievement_award-resized-600.jpg" style="float: right;"><br><br>Awards are a great way to receive additional recognition and publicity for your book. This is our 27th year of Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards and we are adding additional categories and more awards than ever. <br><br>Winners will be announced in August by e-mail as well as on our website and through <a href="http://www.infinitypublishing.com/additional-book-publishing-services/" title="Press Releases">Press Releases</a> on the internet.<br><br>If you have already signed up, thanks for your entry. For more information,&nbsp;<br>&nbsp; <br>Click below for your entry form and complete details:<br><a href="http://tinyurl.com/y9k6xpk" title="http://tinyurl.com/y9k6xpk">http://tinyurl.com/y9k6xpk</a><br><br>All the best,<br><br>Al Galasso<br>NABE, National Association of Book Entrepreneurs</p>
<p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-4baf81dd-995a-4325-b980-92454164a083"> <a href="http://cta-image-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/cpi/?&amp;pg=4baf81dd-995a-4325-b980-92454164a083&amp;pid=66660"><img alt="The Author's 30 Day Guide to Book Promotion" class="hs-cta-img" src="https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/66660/4baf81dd-995a-4325-b980-92454164a083.png" style="border-width:0px;"></a> </span> </span> </p>
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<img src="http://track.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=66660&amp;k=14&amp;r=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%2Fauthor-blog%2Fbid%2F117017%2FSummer-2013-Pinnacle-Book-Achievement-Awards-Last-Call-for-Entries&amp;bu=http%253A%252F%252Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%252Fauthor-blog&amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important">book marketingbook publicityself publishingbook awardssell more bookWed, 10 Jul 2013 20:00:00 GMThttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/117017/Summer-2013-Pinnacle-Book-Achievement-Awards-Last-Call-for-Entries2013-07-10T20:00:00ZSherrie WilkolaskiCode Name Sonny made finalist in the Reader's Favorite contest!http://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/116800/Code-Name-Sonny-made-finalist-in-the-Reader-s-Favorite-contest
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<h3>Congratulations to author Ken Pottie!!! His book&nbsp;<a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-7001-2" title="Code Name Sonny">Code Name Sonny</a> made finalist in the <a href="http://readersfavorite.com/2013-award-contest-winners.htm" title="Reader's Favorite contest">Reader's Favorite contest</a>!</h3>
<p>This is not the first award for<em> Code Name Sonny</em>, it has also received Honorable Mention, at the Hollywood Book Festival, Beach Book Awards, Paris Book Festival and New York Book Festival. </p>
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<h3>Congratulations to author Ken Pottie!!! His book&nbsp;<a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-7001-2" title="Code Name Sonny">Code Name Sonny</a> made finalist in the <a href="http://readersfavorite.com/2013-award-contest-winners.htm" title="Reader's Favorite contest">Reader's Favorite contest</a>!</h3>
<p>This is not the first award for<em> Code Name Sonny</em>, it has also received Honorable Mention, at the Hollywood Book Festival, Beach Book Awards, Paris Book Festival and New York Book Festival. <img alt="describe the image" class="alignRight" height="300" src="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/products/Images/0741470012.jpg" style="float: right;" width="195"></p>
<p><strong><span class="HookLine">What's this book about?</span></strong></p>
<p><span class="HookLine">It’s 1942. Joe is representative of many young American men of his generation: America and its Allies are at war with the Germans and the Japanese, and this New Hampshire teenager wants to be in the thick of it. </span></p>
<p><strong>Here is a look at what is inside the book:</strong></p>
<p>Spy!<br><br>It was a spring day in 1944 when Joe and Raymond raced each other to town moments after the closing school bell rang. The sun felt warm on their skin, but as they raced through the school’s front gate, chilly gusts reminded them that shards of winter were still in the air. It was still not warm enough to go outdoors without their winter coats; that time of year when you need to carry one, just in case. <br><br>But the weather wasn’t top of mind for the two friends today. The boys were on a special mission that afternoon: They wanted to be the first to see what was causing the biggest buzz of excitement they could recall in their quiet town. <br><br>Apparently, the FBI had arrested the owner of the Always Inn &amp; Tavern in town. Mr. Leopold Von Sliedricht was charged with being a Nazi spy. Von Sliedricht was a White Russian who employed Jewish workers at his establishment, so no one in town ever suspected a traitor in their midst. <br><br>The FBI had been tracking Von Sliedricht’s activities and correspondence for months; acting on a series of tips they had received from Von Sliedricht’s disgruntled wife. <br><br>The boys raced down Lincoln Street, coats open to the wind, hair flying wildly, heaving breath casting frosty explosions as they dodged cars and leapt over potholes, too excited even to speak. <br><br>Occasionally, they glanced at each other in silent disbelief that World War II had encroached on their sleepy New England town. <br><br>Turning on Main Street, Joe and Raymond skidded to a halt at a makeshift roadblock that kept cars and pedestrians from the scene. Town police stood at guard behind wooden barriers that had been brought there from townsfolk workshops and barns. <br><br>Behind the police line, 11 men in dark suits and hats carrying Tommy guns were directing Army personnel with mine detectors, poking at the bushes around the establishment, and raising cellar doors at the back of the tavern. Meanwhile, a steady stream of National Guardsmen went in and out of the inn’s front entrance, carrying crates to two waiting Army trucks, where they were stacked row upon row. Six Army soldiers with rifles kept a watchful eye over the loading operation.</p>
<p><strong>About <a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/resource.aspx?id=4982" title="Ken Pottie">Ken Pottie</a>:</strong></p>
<p><span>Ken graduated with a B.A from Norwich University and an MBA from University of New Haven. He spent 13 years in military service in the Army, leaving at the rank of Major. During that time, Ken served as a company commander during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, earned the Bronze Star, Kuwait Liberation Medal and Combat Air Medal.</span> To learn more about Ken go to <a href="http://www.kenpottie.net/" title="www.kenpottie.net">www.kenpottie.net</a>.</p>
<p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-15c22433-a82d-407b-b2c2-d87c2fbd51b0"> <a href="http://cta-image-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/cpi/?&amp;pg=15c22433-a82d-407b-b2c2-d87c2fbd51b0&amp;pid=66660"><img alt="New Call-to-Action" class="hs-cta-img" src="https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/66660/15c22433-a82d-407b-b2c2-d87c2fbd51b0.png" style="border-width:0px;"></a> </span> </span> </p>
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<img src="http://track.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=66660&amp;k=14&amp;r=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%2Fauthor-blog%2Fbid%2F116800%2FCode-Name-Sonny-made-finalist-in-the-Reader-s-Favorite-contest&amp;bu=http%253A%252F%252Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%252Fauthor-blog&amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important">Mon, 01 Jul 2013 13:45:00 GMThttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/116800/Code-Name-Sonny-made-finalist-in-the-Reader-s-Favorite-contest2013-07-01T13:45:00ZSherrie WilkolaskiCourting the Media vs. Courting Editors and Publishershttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/75742/Courting-the-Media-vs-Courting-Editors-and-Publishers
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<a href="http://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/75742/Courting-the-Media-vs-Courting-Editors-and-Publishers" title="" class="hs-featured-image-link"> <img src="//cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/66660/file-15198072-jpg/images/1335786_71970336-danka_k.-sxc-hu-resized-600.jpg" class="hs-featured-image" style="width:auto !important; max-width:50%; float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;"> </a>
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<p>by&nbsp;<a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/resource.aspx?id=4476" title="Laura L. Valenti">Laura L. Valenti</a><br> <strong></strong><br><b></b></p>
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<p>by&nbsp;<a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/resource.aspx?id=4476" title="Laura L. Valenti">Laura L. Valenti</a><br> <strong></strong><br><b></b></p>
<p><img alt="Danka K." class="alignLeft" height="129" src="//cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/66660/file-15198072-jpg/images/1335786_71970336-danka_k.-sxc-hu-resized-600.jpg" style="height: 129px; width: 182px; float: left;" width="183">Recently, a few media contacts, I’ve been working on, in some cases, for a full year, have finally come to fruition.&nbsp; In June 2010, my first novel, <em>The Heart of the Spring</em>, was published and I began the media chase to get the needed publicity to sell books.&nbsp;After all, publication is just the first BIG step. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Unless your name is Stephen King or John Grisham, your next BIG step is marketing and that takes as&nbsp; much, if not more time, sweat and energy than writing the book in the first place.</p>
<p><em><strong></strong><a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-6000-9" title="The Heart of the Spring">The Heart of the Spring</a>,</em> a historical novel set in 1924 tells the story of the beginning of Missouri’s first state park, Bennett Spring in southwest Missouri. As an area resident for over 30 years, I’ve written several historical articles on Bennett Spring for various publications. With that foundation, I placed a fictional family in the 1924 Ozarks and voíla, a novel was born. I’ve been blessed in that it has been well received by reviewers and readers, selling more than 700 copies in just over a year. The Bennett Spring Park Store concessionaire sells it in his store as do several other local stores. It is available on my website <img alt="The Heart of the Spring" class="alignRight" height="192" src="//cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/66660/file-15191778-jpg/images/0741460009-resized-600.jpg" style="float: right;" width="124"><a href="http://www.betweenthestarandthecross.com" title="BetweentheStarandtheCross.com">BetweentheStarandtheCross.com</a> as well as Infinity’s website.&nbsp; In August 2011, the sequel, was also released. <em>The Heart of the Spring Lives On</em> picks up the story and same characters, 11 years later. In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was in the park (and many other parks across the nation), building the many features we know today as Bennett Spring State Park. Many who have read it, are already asking, when will the third one be available? (The answer:&nbsp; <em>The Heart of the Spring Forevermore </em>will be available next summer.)</p>
<p>Even so, one must continue to court the media and recently, it occurred to me that this is the very same struggle we face with editors and publishers. Once again, we, the writers, must present our work in an abbreviated form as we try to convince the local newspaper editor, commentator, or radio show host that our book is of interest to the general public and worth a few column inches or a bit of their air time. And once again, we run into the same obstacles. What if the media person we are writing to, emailing, calling or otherwise attempting to contact (dare I say FACEBOOKing or Tweeting?) doesn’t like our topic or knows nothing of it?</p>
<p>Years ago, my first book by a traditional publisher was about adoption, but when I was interviewed by a single man on television, it was disastrous. And then there are editors and news folks who are too busy, overwhelmed, or ‘scared’ of independently published authors.&nbsp;</p>
<p>When an article I’d been working on for nearly a year came out in the newspaper the night before a book signing, the result was 26 books sold at a very small book store on Labor Day weekend. And in early October, I was interviewed on a local TV talk show. The interviewer told me beforehand, he loved&nbsp;historical novels!</p>
<p>Just like when writing the book, a writer cannot allow herself to become overly discouraged. When the media seems to ignore your efforts—learn to bide your time, try a different reporter or a different approach, just like you would with a publisher, an agent, or an editor. Keep your professional ‘cool’, keep working, keep praying! and you will prevail. &nbsp;</p>
<p>---<strong></strong></p>
<p><em>Laura L. Valenti has been blessed to be a Bennett Spring resident and a freelance writer for over 30 years. She has written more than 500 newspaper and magazine features, including several on the history of the state park. She is the author of two non-fiction books and two previous novels. She and her husband, Warren, recently retired from the Missouri Department of Conservation, are the parents of four grown children and grandparents to five grandsons, all of whom still love to fish at Bennett Spring. The Heart of the Spring is also available on her website <a href="http://www.betweenthestarandthecross.com/" style="color: #000000 ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important;" title="www.betweenthestarandthecross.com">www.betweenthestarandthecross.com</a>.</em>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-d5cc2449-2651-4bf7-91a0-66a7c6739434"> <a href="http://cta-image-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/cpi/?&amp;pg=d5cc2449-2651-4bf7-91a0-66a7c6739434&amp;pid=66660"><img alt="FREE Guide to Choosing the Right Publishing Package" class="hs-cta-img" src="https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/66660/d5cc2449-2651-4bf7-91a0-66a7c6739434.png" style="border-width:0px;"></a> </span> </span> </p>
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<img src="http://track.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=66660&amp;k=14&amp;r=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%2Fauthor-blog%2Fbid%2F75742%2FCourting-the-Media-vs-Courting-Editors-and-Publishers&amp;bu=http%253A%252F%252Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%252Fauthor-blog&amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important">infinity publishinginfinityTue, 18 Oct 2011 23:28:00 GMThttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/75742/Courting-the-Media-vs-Courting-Editors-and-Publishers2011-10-18T23:28:00ZInfnity Author Marketing BLOGTaking the Plunge: Giving a TV Interviewhttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/69527/Taking-the-Plunge-Giving-a-TV-Interview
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<a href="http://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/69527/Taking-the-Plunge-Giving-a-TV-Interview" title="" class="hs-featured-image-link"> <img src="//cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/66660/file-15198154-jpg/images/1347725_72659105-resized-600.jpg" class="hs-featured-image" style="width:auto !important; max-width:50%; float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;"> </a>
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<p><strong>By:</strong> <a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/resource.aspx?id=4377" title="Susan Rich Sheridan">Susan Rich Sheridan</a></p>
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<p><strong>By:</strong> <a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/resource.aspx?id=4377" title="Susan Rich Sheridan">Susan Rich Sheridan</a></p>
<p><strong>Books:</strong> <a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-5753-9" title="Saving Literacy">Saving Literacy</a> &nbsp;and &nbsp;<a href="http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-5769-5" title="Handmade Marks">Handmade Marks</a></p>
<p><strong>Marketting subject</strong>: Interview with a local tv station</p>
<p><img alt="Image courtesy of Nadia Meslem" class="alignLeft" src="//cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/66660/file-15198154-jpg/images/1347725_72659105-resized-600.jpg" style="float: left;">Amherst Media (ACTV) in Amherst, MA contacted me about giving an interview about my work with scribbling, drawing and writing.</p>
<p>I accepted this invitation, prepared, and was able to give an interview which I hope will prove useful.</p>
<p>My interviewer, a mother, had reached me via my website. Finding an interviewer who is interested in your work is important to your</p>
<p>being able to fully get your ideas across. I was lucky that my interviewer found me. This interview is now on <a href="http://blip.tv">blip.tv</a> and also on <a href="http://blog.infinitypublishing.com/bloginfinitypublishingcom/bid/101420/YouTube-for-Authors-Social-Media-Challenge-Day-12" title="YouTube">YouTube</a>. I have posted the interview on my fb location.&nbsp;Videos are the way to get information across at this point in media history. I am hoping that this way of&nbsp;spotlighting the importance of mark-making to the natural unfolding of the brain/body system will be effective. I also hope that my "plugging" other authors' work on the importance of hearing and sound gets out there.</p>
<p>My books are barely selling even though they are listed with amazon and Barnes and Noble. I am hoping that this video interview will boost sales, for the sake of children's linguistic development in the context of healthy, informed early development.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p><a href="http://3d.nu" title="Image courtesy of Nadia Meslem"><em>Image courtesy of Nadia Meslem</em></a>.</p>
<p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-2b6687de-5cdc-4cd6-bcb6-14c22a56311f"> <a href="http://cta-image-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/cpi/?&amp;pg=2b6687de-5cdc-4cd6-bcb6-14c22a56311f&amp;pid=66660"><img alt="Getting Publicity for Your Book" class="hs-cta-img" src="https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/66660/2b6687de-5cdc-4cd6-bcb6-14c22a56311f.png" style="border-width:0px;"></a> </span> </span> </p>
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<img src="http://track.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=66660&amp;k=14&amp;r=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%2Fauthor-blog%2Fbid%2F69527%2FTaking-the-Plunge-Giving-a-TV-Interview&amp;bu=http%253A%252F%252Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%252Fauthor-blog&amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important">infinity publishingbook marketingbook promotionbook publicityThu, 01 Sep 2011 23:31:00 GMThttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/69527/Taking-the-Plunge-Giving-a-TV-Interview2011-09-01T23:31:00ZInfnity Author Marketing BLOGWhy Regional Pitching Can Leverage Big Successhttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/67921/Why-Regional-Pitching-Can-Leverage-Big-Success
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<a href="http://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/67921/Why-Regional-Pitching-Can-Leverage-Big-Success" title="" class="hs-featured-image-link"> <img src="//cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/66660/file-15199114-jpg/images/1378633_97685338-resized-600.jpg" class="hs-featured-image" style="width:auto !important; max-width:50%; float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;"> </a>
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<p>With all the talk of <a href="http://blog.infinitypublishing.com/bloginfinitypublishingcom/bid/104698/How-to-Use-Facebook-to-Market-Your-Book" title="Facebook">Facebook</a>, Twitter, blogging and other social media, we often forget how we used to promote a book: locally. Many books that hit big success did so by building a regional buzz. But regional seems a lot less sexy these days and often gets overlooked. If media is being pursued, it’s often on a national level, bypassing individual markets altogether.</p>
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<p>With all the talk of <a href="http://blog.infinitypublishing.com/bloginfinitypublishingcom/bid/104698/How-to-Use-Facebook-to-Market-Your-Book" title="Facebook">Facebook</a>, Twitter, blogging and other social media, we often forget how we used to promote a book: locally. Many books that hit big success did so by building a regional buzz. But regional seems a lot less sexy these days and often gets overlooked. If media is being pursued, it’s often on a national level, bypassing individual markets altogether.</p>
<p><img alt="1378633 97685338 resized 600" class="alignCenter" height="365" src="//cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/66660/file-15199114-jpg/images/1378633_97685338-resized-600.jpg" width="420"></p>
<p>One of the things I’ve found about regional promotion is that it can often surprise you. When we worked on The Kennedy Detail last November, we had enormous success regionally, while major stations and national markets seemed to lag in interest for this exceptional title. In fact, I believe that part of&nbsp; the reason this book hit the bestseller list was because of the regional buzz.</p>
<p>If you’re wondering how regional coverage can affect your success, let me tell you another story. Some years back two women inLouisianawrote a Cajun cookbook. Now, if any of you have been toLouisianayou know that there are hundreds of Cajun cookbooks, nothing really unique there, right? But these women figured that out and decided instead of trying to do a national push, they would focus regionally. They were everywhere: airports, drycleaners, coffee shops, grocery stores and restaurants. The result? They built exceptional buzz for this book and ended up getting the attention of aNew Yorkpublisher who offered them a big deal to buy the book. Sometimes small can be big.</p>
<p>So, what would regional pitching look like for you? Well, my recommendation to any author is saturate your market. Make sure everyone in your city or town knows about you and what you’re doing. Additionally, you don’t need to just focus on your region, you could expand this out to other parts of the country as well. If the idea of pitching regionally has piqued your interest, here are some ways to make it work:</p>
<ul>
<li> <p><b>Don’t repurpose national pitches:</b> This is a big one. I don’t recommend that you use your national pitches for your local market. Local cares about local and even though every station will report on major national stories, it’s always best if they have a regional tie-in.</p> </li>
<li> <p><b>Get to know your area:</b> This is especially true if you’re pitching outside of your market. Get to know the nuances of the market you are going after. Know their hot buttons and then decide whether your story can tie into them. But regardless, you want to understand the market you are pitching.</p> </li>
<li> <p><b>Local media varies:</b> Local media will vary depending on the region you’re in. For some markets print has the biggest voice, for others it’s broadcast. By digging into your area and getting to know the region, important segments will start to become apparent. For example, in areas that have a lot of morning shows they will generally have a pretty balanced broadcast and print consumption. But other areas might surprise you. For example, I just moved fromSan Diego where, despite the size of the city, they only&nbsp; have one paper serving it: The San Diego Union Tribune. If you don’t make it into that paper, you’re not in great shape. Especially if your regional campaign is heavily driven to print. The flip side of this is that this city has a lot of great broadcast opportunities both in TV and radio, so your time might be better spent there.</p> </li>
<li> <p><b>Tailor, tailor, tailor:</b> Don’t forget that local matters so you’ll want to make sure and position your pitch on a local angle.</p> </li>
<li> <p><b>Getting to know you:</b> It’s easier than ever to get to know a <a href="http://www.infinitypublishing.com/additional-book-publishing-services/" title="market">market</a> by reading, listening, or watching online. This will help you identify reporters, journalists, and radio hosts who might have a keen interest in what you are pitching.</p> </li>
<li> <p><b>Event pitching:</b> Regional media loves talking about events and other tie-ins. One of the best ways to get local media is by doing an event.</p> </li>
<li> <p><b>Getting into Bookstores: </b>If your goal is to get bookstores to place orders, a regional push can help there as well. If you’re doing events or media locally, this will help drive readers into the stores and the numbers start adding up, which could encourage bookstores to order more copies!</p> </li>
<li> <p><b>Small is big:</b> When we pitch regionally, we never overlook the small, local papers. Often they are the freebies you get in supermarkets. I have found that they are often very well-read in the community and can help to drive a lot of interest to your book or event. They are sometimes difficult to find though and don’t always show up in media databases. Having someone in the area is great to help identify these local publications. If you don’t have anyone locally, call the bookstore where you’re doing an event, and if there isn’t an event as part of this media push, call the local supermarket and ask them!</p> </li>
</ul>
<p>Getting focused regionally can be a great enhancement to any campaign. It’s also a great way to bring longevity to a marketing push. Regional markets aren’t always as hung up on book release dates as bigger, national markets are so the window is much wider here for pitching.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>---</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1378633" title="Image by Ambrozjo.">Image by Ambrozjo.</a></p>
<p><span class="hs-cta-wrapper"> <span class="hs-cta-node hs-cta-4baf81dd-995a-4325-b980-92454164a083"> <a href="http://cta-image-cms2.hubspot.com/cs/cpi/?&amp;pg=4baf81dd-995a-4325-b980-92454164a083&amp;pid=66660"><img alt="The Author's 30 Day Guide to Book Promotion" class="hs-cta-img" src="https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/66660/4baf81dd-995a-4325-b980-92454164a083.png" style="border-width:0px;"></a> </span> </span> </p>
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<img src="http://track.hubspot.com/__ptq.gif?a=66660&amp;k=14&amp;r=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%2Fauthor-blog%2Fbid%2F67921%2FWhy-Regional-Pitching-Can-Leverage-Big-Success&amp;bu=http%253A%252F%252Fblog.infinitypublishing.com%252Fauthor-blog&amp;bvt=rss" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="min-height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important">book marketingbook promotiononline marketingsell more booksindie publishingSat, 20 Aug 2011 01:00:00 GMThttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/67921/Why-Regional-Pitching-Can-Leverage-Big-Success2011-08-20T01:00:00ZInfnity Author Marketing BLOGGet Free and Effective Online Book Marketinghttp://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/67910/Get-Free-and-Effective-Online-Book-Marketing
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<a href="http://blog.infinitypublishing.com/author-blog/bid/67910/Get-Free-and-Effective-Online-Book-Marketing" title="" class="hs-featured-image-link"> <img src="//cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/66660/file-15196663-jpg/images/1244621_73992057-resized-600.jpg" class="hs-featured-image" style="width:auto !important; max-width:50%; float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0;"> </a>
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<p><b>Simplicity Series: </b></p>
<p><img alt="Image courtesy of Billy Alexander" class="alignRight" height="198" src="//cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/66660/file-15196663-jpg/images/1244621_73992057-resized-600.jpg" style="float: right;" width="298">From time to time we see articles that are well written and provide good information in clear and simple language to help our authors. This month’s article is written by Sunny Nash and it does a great job of discussing some of the core components of Internet marketing and how to achieve success. <b></b></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><b>Get Free and Effective Online Book Marketing, Author Publicity and Brand Equity</b></p>
<p>To sell books, authors use social media networks as marketing tools for building brand equity and getting free book publicity by sharing online conversations, posts, book excerpts, links, videos, photographs and text files with family, friends, fans and professionals.</p>
<p>Book and eBook authors are creating internet presence using social media and free internet publicity tools by marketing books and services using internet communities, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Digg. In addition, there are free opportunities to market books on Google and Yahoo through their search engine submission services, communities and blogs.</p>
<p>By having your book appear on all or some of these websites, you can begin to build brand equity, the perceived value assigned to your name, the name of your book and your services in the marketplace, which in this case, is the internet. As you build a target audience that has an interest in you, your name, book and services derive real commercial value to accompany your brand equity, causing your stock to rise, so to speak, and allowing you to cash in on your name and reputation.</p>
<p>Using a larger group of online fans on Facebook, for instance, you can further define smaller communities to build around you as an author, expert and public speaker, establishing yourself as an authority and giving this target audience a better chance to get to know you. Acquaintance with what you have to say could encourage an online fan or friend to consider hiring you to speak to their civic, social or professional group. which may lead to consulting contracts in your professional area.</p>
<p>Many authors write books as extensions of articles and in-depth investigatory projects that may have been part of their academic curriculum, research, literary collections or newspaper and magazine columns. With this professional background, authors can truthfully claim a specialty in particular professions and bill themselves as such. Other authors have written books about their hobbies, such as gardening, cooking, design, sewing, dance, boating, travel, photography. Get the picture? Don't forget to take pictures and video to use in your online marketing or eBook production.</p>
<p>With all those text files, photographs and video, collected for your book or eBook, you can now generate scripts for a video production or a series of video projects for YouTube, adding to the amount of free book publicity available to you. Videos can give potential audiences a chance to see and hear a sample of your presentation. Try to make this presentation into a mini production and not just a talking head. Add graphics, photographs or other video clips over your voice to give the presentation interest and additional value. Videos can be made into book trailers, short author biographies and video business cards. You may need a bit of professional assistance to get your video project started. The more professional your video productions look, the more likely they are to be picked up by other video services, giving you even more exposure, free book publicity and brand equity.</p>
<p>Whatever your reason for writing a book, it doesn't take a large number of internet fans, friends and followers to effect the momentum you need for success as an author, expert, public speaker and professional consultant. One online contact is all it takes to get the free book publicity sequence started. You tell the audience you are available for personal appearances, public speaking events, book signing engagements, consulting and coaching; and then direct them to your internet pages to read about you, your book and your professional specialty. Imagine, one contact responds to your message. There you go! But remember, no one can read your mind or between the lines. Spell out clearly what action you want your audience to take. Then give them step-by-step instructions on how they should take each action.</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Buy your book?</em></li>
<li><em>Hire you to speak?</em></li>
<li><em>Contract with you as a consultant?</em></li>
<li><em>Employ you for staff coaching?</em></li>
</ul>
<p>Social media networks can help you build relationships and establish or enhance your internet presence because, within social media networks, you can create interest groups with whom you may talk about appropriately selected topics. If you are an author, these topics should include your book, a point of interest for online and live audiences, as well. Most times the intrigue my audiences have with me as an author is the fact that I have done what many people in the audience either want to do or think they can do--write a book. Many questions center on the writing process. Don't discourage their curiosity. Use whatever you have to capture interest. Then, show them a video and talk about your book, how you went about writing your book and how your book supports your consulting specialty.</p>
<ul>
<li><em>The facts are these.</em></li>
<li><em>Technology allows us to tell our online friends, fans and followers about our books</em></li>
<li><em>Internet communities can be supportive of our books and events</em></li>
<li><em>Audiences must believe we are being informative rather than exploitive</em></li>
<li><em>You are not allowed to sell books and services in some online communities</em></li>
</ul>
<p>BE SURE to read the fine print in the terms of use section before you check the box. As competition for membership in certain internet groups becomes more competitive, those groups are beginning to take the terms of use section more seriously. When you check the box and type in the code, you are signing a legally binding contract to abide by rules and to uphold standards of that particular online community, which may not allow a participant to sell on its website. Those sales compete with paid advertisers on the website. Don't take for granted that all communities have the same policies about sales. They don't.</p>
<p>Some websites that do not allow you to sell your book or services may still be a great place for branding your name and book. Beyond official policies, community members have their own ways to deal with those who deviate from accepted community conduct. Many members belong to several similar online groups and will be on the lookout for you and your tactics. They have the option of removing your posts from their pages where their friends may have seen your posts; or they can de-friend or un-follow you. Like in the community where you live, your un-neighborly reputation will follow you from community to community, where you will eventually find yourself friendless and alone with no book sales, speaking events or consulting contracts.</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Be Subtle</em></li>
<li><em>Tell Your Story</em></li>
<li><em>Don't Sell</em></li>
</ul>
<p>Evolving social media marketing for free publicity and brand equity can lead to book and services sales and public speaking events. However, the use of social media can backfire! If members of your online communities believe you are trying to take advantage of them, they will reject your message. Remember, these are real people, not inanimate technology or extensions of search engines. Make sure what you are offering--how-to instructions, free sample products, gifts, coupons, discounts, invitations, advice, jokes or whatever--is something they can see as being useful in their lives or careers.</p>
<p>In your social media network or online professional community, treat people with respect. Speak to them as equals and communicate with them in the same way you would communicate with friends in other areas of your life. If you do not treat people with regard, you will alienate your potential target audience and you will not receive an abundance of book sales or invitations for public speaking events or consulting and services contracts.</p>
<p>ALL OF THIS may sound foreign and daunting, but effective book marketing through social media can be achieved easily by grouping friends and fans into categories to suit the conversations and discussions you intend to share with each online group. Conversations, discussions and posting can lead your target audience to read an excerpt from your book, an excerpt that you can upload in an online press release or article. Write your own promotional materials. You can do this! After all, you wrote a book!</p>
<p>My college journalism professor and advisor at Texas A&amp;M University, the late Skip Leabo, told me, "If you can write, then you can write your own ticket to a good life." Skip gave me that nugget before we arrived at the door of the World Wide Web. It took me a number of years to understand exactly what he meant. Now, I know. As the writer, I can assume an active role in my destiny.</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Write my books using online tools</em></li>
<li><em>Use free technology to publicize my events</em></li>
<li><em>Shape public opinion about my books</em></li>
<li><em>Brand my name and my titles</em></li>
</ul>
<p>As an author you will most likely want to join author groups online to increase your visibility among other authors, publishers and literary agents. Literary agents and publishers are attracted to author groups because these groups provide a large talent pool. Also, author groups give you unlimited possibilities for enhancing the standing of your book, while creating a community with whom you can share your book, press releases, articles and author biography.</p>
<p>Further, your membership in social media networks gives members a chance to share their books, articles and press releases, giving you the opportunity to comment on those pages. Comments on other writers' pages can get you professional recognition, which will lead readers to your website or blog that contains your information and excerpts. On those pages, potential target audiences can get a taste of your creative side and a glimpse of who you are. Your social media community may read your author biography and book excerpt, and be inspired to invite you to speak in front of their group.</p>
<p>Once you get yourself comfortably in front of an audience at a public speaking event, you can deliver your message about your book, let people get to know you and, at the same time, persuade them that you are knowledgeable about writing, editing, marketing or other services you offer for a fee. In front of your audience, you can sell yourself, reserve further public speaking events, and attract lucrative consulting contracts. All of this can be accomplished using social media. Be sure not to use hard-selling tactics in public speaking events. The best way to sell anything--anything at all--is to sound not like a salesperson, but to sound like a friend.</p>
<p>To take full advantage of your social media network, you could invite your local social media community to an event you have arranged or one in which you have been invited to participate. At these events, you have the opportunity to place your book on the table at the back of the room. If you wrote an eBook, your sales will be handled exclusively through the internet, perfect for involving your social media network because the internet is the location of the community and also the location where they purchase the eBook.</p>
<p>LET'S HOPE you have written a book that excites people, a book they will share with their network and so on and so on. That makes your book excerpts nearly as important as the book itself. So, pay attention to what you post because the excerpt will either cause your community to attend an event or make them want to read more of your book and make the purchase. Your social media network can help you sell book and get public speaking events if you provide them with as many places as possible to read about you. Press release publishing websites will publish and distribute well-written press releases and articles, which will get you free book publicity. Check them out and pick a couple of websites to start.</p>
<p>Press releases accomplish a number of goals, including free book publicity and getting your biography and data files into the hands of folks who can hire you to speak to their groups. How <a href="http://sunnynash.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-authors-use-social-networking-to.html">Authors Use Social Media</a> Networking to Sell Books will help you learn more about using the internet to promote your books and career.</p>
<p>Online press release services are not all the same. Write an article and upload it. Be prepared to wait a few days while some services review your article. If it is accepted and published, check your search engine ranking after a couple of days and see if the website is working for you. If not, move on to another one. In some cases, it is not the website, it your writing that is not working for the search engines. Be aware that writing for internet distribution and search engine optimization is a different type of writing.</p>
<p>As you write more for internet distribution you will need to learn about headline writing for search engines, text optimization and keyword strategies. Involve your social media network in getting you book sales and public speaking engagements by providing the network a means of purchasing your book or eBook. This can be done through your website, blog, press releases or articles, all posted online for the convenience of your network. The challenge in selling online is having a method of receiving payments.</p>
<p>There are numerous methods available. Do research and find one that suits your needs. When you secure a public speaking engagement, you have the opportunity to hand out printed materials that include a biography, book ordering information and other pertinent files that your audience may access on the internet. Other files may include the site addresses of internet press releases about your and your book, online articles and reviews about your book, and postings and reviews you have contributed on others' writing blogs and websites.</p>
<p><a href="http://sunnynash.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-authors-use-social-networking-to.html">SOCIAL MEDIA</a> tactics such as those I have suggested will not work for you unless have an online presence. If you don't have an online presence, get one. Your social media network will expect someone who professes to be an author, expert and public speaker to have a viable online presence. Here are suggestions to help you get started.</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Post a Blog</em></li>
<li><em>Develop a Website</em></li>
<li><em>Write Internet Press Releases</em></li>
<li><em>Distribute Online Articles</em></li>
</ul>
<p>To acquire public speaking engagements, online press releases about your book should have appropriate contact information. Some services have contact information categories in which you can include as little or as much as you like, from email only to physical address. Be careful about the amount and nature of the information you post. What you place on the internet is likely to stay on the internet. Use caution in what you put out there, including specific fee quotes. Because of the delicate nature of pricing, talk about fees on a project by project basis in proposal estimates. However, a list of services with corresponding costs is acceptable as long as you include a disclaimer about price changes. You might want to mention whether or not you are willing to travel and what your requirement are.</p>
<p>For those in the audience that may wish to contact you later, when they need your services, provide them with an easy way to do that. As mentioned before, in the handout, include your contact information. And please do not forget about the trusted old-fashioned business card and don't rely on your audience to keep up with your business card. They have picked up several at your event that do not belong to you. Get their business cards, all of them so you can contact them for followup meetings, email addresses and social media relationships. In your online publicity and at public speaking events, be sure to offer helpful suggestions. Good suggestions will encourage your audience to accept your offers for social media relationships.</p>
<p>In your presentation, try to refer to your own book or your own work. If you are an author with your own book on the table at the back of the room, promote your book and your work in your speech and also in your handouts, prepared in advance. If your book has been honored, mention it in your online press releases and other publicity. Also in the audience handout include a statement about your writing honors or awards your book may have received to make yourself more attractive as a prospective public speaker and consulting contractor, friend and follower in social media networks.</p>
<p>At your speaking events, don't forget to read a passage or two from your book, regardless of its genre. In the reading, showcase your writing style to acquaint the audience with the book you are asking them to buy. Don't be too dry in your presentation, but try not to be overly dramatic. That can sound phony Be sincere. Sincerity counts in every word you write, every speech you make, everything comment you post, every book you sell, everything you do.</p>
<p>Sunny Nash is author of "Bigmama Didn't Shop At Woolworth's," recognized by the Association of American University Presses for understanding race relations in America; and listed in Bibliographic Guide to Black Studies by the New York Schomburg Center and the Florida's Miami-Dade Library System Native American collections. Her work is in African American National Biography by Harvard and Oxford; African American West, Reflections in Black, History of Black Photography; Ancestry; Companion to Southern Literature; Black Genesis: Resource Book for African-American Genealogy; African American Foodways; Southwestern American Literature; Source: a guidebook to American genealogy; Bibliographic Guide to Black Studies; Interdisciplinary Journal for Germanic Linguistics; Ebony; Southern Exposure; Hidden Sources and others. Nash won California writing fellowships in 2003 and 2010, won 2004 Charter Communications' TV award and nominated for a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. <a href="http://sunnynash.blogspot.com/p/bigmama-didnt-shop-at-woolworths.html">http://sunnynash.blogspot.com/p/bigmama-didnt-shop-at-woolworths.html</a></p>
<p>---</p>
<p><a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/Billyruth03_portfolio_pg1" title="Image courtesy of Billy Alexander.">Image courtesy of Billy Alexander.</a></p>
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